Religion 1 Episode 29

WHAT IS RELIGION? S2
I. KEY THOUGHTS S3
1. Religion is Difficult to Define S4
this is because there is such a WIDE range of beliefs
EG religion has something to do with: S5
God in heaven Judaism, Christianity, Islam Spiritual Being
Nirvana Buddhism State of being X
Energy in Nature New Age Religions Cosmic Force X
Moral Duty Moralism Practice of good X S6
Ultimate Concern All Belief Systems Whatever! $$$ X
COMMENTS:
C NO Spiritual Being in many religions (X)
C Is viewing “$$$” as a religion such an odd idea? S7
1. Jesus: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God & Money.” Matt 6:24

2. Academic Definition of Religion is WIDE º Theme of this section S8

Religion – Metaphysics ( – approximately equal to)
EG some scholars view Marxism as a secular religion

3. Religious Ideas º Pervasive, Powerful & MOSTLY UNEXAMINED S9

2. “I find that religious belief is the most influential of all beliefs, and the most powerful S10
force in the world. Religious belief has the most decisive influence on everyone’s
understanding of the major issues of life across the entire spectrum of human experience.
Moreover, it exercises this influence upon all people independently of their conscious
acceptance or rejection of the religious traditions with which they are acquainted. The
enormous influence of religious beliefs remains, however, largely hidden from casual view.”
Roy A. Clouser, Myth of Religious Neutrality: An Essay on the Hidden Role
of Religious Beliefs in Theories (Notre Dame: U Press, 1991), 1.
COMMENTS: S11
C Tacit Categories Latin tacitus: silent
DEF: silent categories that impact our thinking & that we are not aware of
C GOAL of education & this course:
to make you aware of YOUR silent religious/metaphysical categories
C How is Clouser defining the term “religion”? More anon

II. STATISTICS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEF S12

1. Global Population S13
PEW RESEARCH CENTER “GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE” (2012)
based on 2500 censuses, surveys & population registers
32% Christianity
23% Islam
15% Hinduism
7% Buddhism
6% Folk Religions (eg, aboriginal religions)
1% Other Religions (eg, Judaism)
16% No Religious Affiliation (not categorized––agnostic, atheist, spiritual not religious, etc)
K 84% accept Traditional Religions

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2. American Population S2
PEW RESEARCH CENTER “US RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE” SURVEY (2015)
survey of 35,000 individuals
K 89% believe in “God or a universal spirit” þ Teleology
71% Christianity S3
decrease from 78% in 2007 Pew Survey
6% Other Religions (eg, Judaism, Islam)
23% No Religious Affiliation þ increase from 16% in 2007
16% “Nothing in Particular”
74% of 16% believe in “God or universal spirit” (12% overall)
4% agnostic
3% atheist
K 77% accept Traditional Religions

PEW RESEARCH CENTER “SCIENCE & RELIGION” SURVEY (2015) S4

survey of 2000 individuals
59% believe science & religion are often in CONFLICT
cause of the conflict for 36% of these individuals þ Origins

GALLUP POLL (2014) S5

survey of 1000 American adults that has been conducted 12 times since 1982
50% accept human evolution
range: 46-52%

3. Canadian Population S6
STATISTICS CANADA “NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY” (2011)
based on 4.5 million households
67% Christianity
decrease from 77% in 2001 Census
8% Other Religions
24% No Religious Affiliation þ increase from 16% in 2001
not categorized into agnostic, atheist, spiritual not religious, etc
probably similar to USA
K 75% accept Traditional Religions
S7
ANGUS REID “BRITONS & CANADIANS MORE LIKELY TO ENDORSE EVOLUTION THAN AMERICANS”
based on 1500 Canadians (2012)
61% accept human evolution

4. Conclusions S8
• humans still quite religious in an age of science
roughly 75% of US & Canada accept Traditional Religions
Christianity decreasing in both countries & No Religious Affiliation increasing
roughly 90% of US (probably Canada too) believe in a God or Universal Spirit
Therefore, at least 90% are Teleologists
with 3% of US atheist þ at best 5% are Dysteleologists
• anti-evolutionism is significant in US & Canada S9
roughly, only 50-60% accept human evolution

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 Religion 1 Episode 31

III. OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY S2

QUESTION: There is lots of it, but what is religion?
C Etymology doubtful & not helpful S3
relegere (Latin): to read over again
religare: to bind
C Definition S4
3. (5a) recognition on the part of man of some higher unseen power as having control
of his destiny, and as being entitled to obedience, reverence, and worship;
the general acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life.
SQ 1 for the rest of this entry

Academic Schools: S5
(1) Religious Studies
(2) Psychology
(3) Philosophy

IV. RELIGIOUS STUDIES DEFINITION OF RELIGION S6

Ninian Smart S7
“The Dean” of the modern study of religion
method used in Departments of Religion in public universities

Importance of the Study of Religion S8

4. “To understand human history and human life it is necessary to understand religion.”
Ninian Smart, The Religious Experience of Mankind
(NY: MacMillan, 1991 [4th ed.]), 3.
EG: US politics º state-church separation, stem cell, abortion
English literature þ Biblical allusions

Phenomenological Method Greek öáéíùìåíïí (phainômenon): appearance S9

5. “The intention is to describe, rather than to pass judgment, on the phenomena of religion.”
COMMENTS: Smart, 4
goal of Departments of Religious Studies S10
claim NOT to deal with truth or falsity of religion
often termed the “Scientific” study of religion
usually steeped in a positivistic epistemology
K Theological Method like st. joseph’s S10
theologians respectfully “pass judgment” on the truth or falsity of religion
Definition of Religion: “Six-Dimensional Organism” S11
(1) RITUAL DIMENSION S12
DEF: 6. Ritual is “some form of outer behavior coordinated to an inner intention
to make contact with, or to participate in, the invisible world ... however
interpreted, whether as [1] God’s presence, as [2] nirvana, as [3] sacred
energy pervading nature.” Smart, 6
COMMENTS: S13
• from elaborate (Catholic High Masses) to simple (closing eyes)
• “the invisible world”
WIDE range of beliefs: [1] God þ Spiritual Being
[2] nirvana þ state of being
[3] sacred energy þ Cosmic Force

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(2) MYTHOLOGICAL DIMENSION S2
PROBLEM with the term ‘MYTH’
Common DEF: false & not true
Appears in the Bible: S3
7. “For a time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine ...
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
2 Tim 4:3-4
HOWEVER, myth is an academic category in literature, theology & religious studies S4
Academic DEF: main message or ultimate (metaphysical) belief of a religion or
philosophy
EG
Christian Myth º God became a human in the person of Jesus
Myth of Dysteleological Evolution º Dawkins
K everyone has a myth!

Evolution as a Myth & a Religion S5

8. “Evolution is the creation-myth of our age. By telling us our origins it shapes
our views of what we [ultimately] are. It influences not just our thoughts, but
our feelings and actions too, in a way which goes far beyond [ìåôá] its official
function as a biological [scientific] theory.
In calling it a ‘myth,’ I am not of course saying that it is a false story. I mean
that it has great symbolic power, which is independent of its truth. Is the word
religion appropriate to it? This will depend on the sense we give to that very
elastic word.”
Mary Midgley, “The Religion of Evolution” in John Durant, ed.,
Darwinism and Divinity (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1985), 154
COMMENTS: S6
• Academic definition of the term myth
“not . . . a false story”
“shapes our views of what we [ultimately] are” þ our metaphysics
• Reflects Metaphysics-Physics Principle S7 H5
evolution “goes far beyond [ìåôá] its official function as a biological
theory”
Myth/Religion of Evolution: Metaphysics
Biological/Scientific Theory of Evolution: Physics
• Problem with defining “the word religion” S8
a “very elastic word”
Creation Myth of Evolution = RELIGION
WIDE Definition

(3) DOCTRINAL DIMENSION S9

DEF: systematic organization of the myth
brings clarity & accessibility
this is the task of theology

(4) ETHICAL DIMENSION S10

DEF: behaviour code of a religion
NB: don’t colour the term “ethics” with puritanical Christian nuances
EG Epicurean Ethics º eat, drink & be merry
their gods had little concern for humans

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(5) SOCIAL DIMENSION S2
DEF: community aspects of a religion
religions are not merely belief systems, but involve communities of religious people
Two Way Relationship: S3
1. Religion Impacts Society
EG English Common Law based on the Bible
2. Society Impacts Religion
EG modern science shaping Liberal Christianity
K origin of this Science-Religion course
it arose in response to the impact of evolution on Christianity

(6) EXPERIENTIAL DIMENSION S4

DEF: inner experience of the Invisible World
religion º internal & PERSONAL

CONCLUSION: Smart’s Religious Studies Definition of Religion S5

Last paragraph of his The Religious Experience of Mankind:
9. “Altogether the history of the religions of the human race has been multiple: often
bitter, often noble, often sweet, at times cruel, sometimes beautiful, often ugly.
It can teach us many lessons. Whether we feel ourselves [1] surrounded by a
spiritual world, [2] or guided by the one God, [3] or striving toward nirvana, or
[4] alone in an empty universe, WE [my capitals] as religious people asking
spiritual questions have tried to see beyond [ìåôá] our senses. Is it just
imagination or is it a holy power that impels us?” Smart, 576.

COMMENTS: S6
• WIDE definition of religion
religion includes belief in:
[1] spiritual world, or
[2] one God, or
[3] nirvana, or
[4] alone in an empty universe!!!
IMPLICATION: S7
Is a dysteleological worldview religious?
Is everyone religious, including dysteleologists?
K YOU DECIDE

• Reflects Metaphysics-Physics Principle S8 H5

“WE as religious people asking spiritual [metaphysical] questions
have tried to see beyond [ìåôá] our [physical] senses.”
• Non-Judgment Method S9
“Is it just imagination or is it a holy power that impels us?”
consistent with the Phenomenological Method
Smart doesn’t give an answer or judgment
• Religious Studies º excellent descriptive scholarship S10
but in private, these scholars judge truth/falsity of religion
for many religion is nothing but human imagination

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 Religion 1 Episode 34
V. PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION I S2
William C. Tremmel
educated as a theologian & worked in a department of religious studies
Religion is Difficult to Define S3
10. “A good definition of religion is hard to come by, mostly because it must incorporate
an enormous array of beliefs and activities all the way from magic to mysticism,
from private prayer to sacred community.” William C. Tremmel, Religion, What Is It?
(NY, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1984), 3

Phenomenistic Method S4
11. In the phenomenistic method one is interested in describing and defining ... questions
concerning value and truth are suspended.” Tremmel, 9
Phenomenistic º Greek öáéíùìåíïí (phainômenon): appearance

Purpose of Religion S5
to meet human psychological needs
C why do people ‘do’ religion?
practical benefits: deals with psychological pain
C what happens to people?
personal experience: offers a happy psychological state

Definition of Religion: “Functional-Experiential” S6

(1) PREPARES FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN S7
horrendous & uncontrollable events
death, suffering, guilt, meaninglessness, etc.
(2) BELIEF IN A CENTRAL DIVINE REALITY S8
12. “The conviction that there is at the center of human experience, and even of all
reality, [1] a being, or [2] beings, or [3] process (a divine reality) in which and
through which a person (or community of persons) can transcend the life-negating
traumas of human existence, can overcome the sense of finitude.” Tremmel, 7
(3) TECHNIQUES S9
beliefs, rituals, ethics
(4) ENTER A PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE S10
comfortable & satisfying state
COMMENTS: S11
• WIDE definition of religion
Divine Reality can be: [1] a being
[2] beings
[3] a process
any belief or technique that deals with our psychological pain is a religion
K truthfulness or falsity of a religion is irrelevant
• an eloquent “Religion is a Crutch or Drug” theory S12
similar to the well-known criticism of religion by Karl Marx S13
13. “Religion is the opium of the people.”
T. Bottomore & M. Rubel, eds. Karl Marx (NY: McGraw Hill, 1964), 41

• many religious people are suspicious of psychology S14

Religion = psychological & not rooted in reality
= emotion & wish fulfilment
= nothing but imagination in head of religious devotees

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QUESTIONS S2
• Is the BELIEF that God does NOT exist: S3
psychological & not rooted in reality?
emotion & wish fulfilment that there is no God and that we are not
accountable to him after our death?
nothing but imagination in the head of atheistic & agnostic devotees?

• Do atheists & agnostics have Beliefs & Techniques that prepare them S4
for their psychological pain?
IF SO, are these Beliefs & Techniques:
(1) the opium of atheists & agnostics?
(2) a religion according to Tremmel’s definition?

VI. PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION II S5

Tom Pyszczynski, Jeff Greenberg & Sheldon Solomon
social psychologists & founders of the field of Terror Management Theory S6
Terror Management Theory S7
14. “Knowledge of the inevitability of death gives rise to the potential for paralysing terror,
which would make continued goal-directed behavior impossible. The theory posits
that this terror is managed by a dual-component cultural anxiety buffer, consisting of
(1) an individual’s personalized version of the cultural worldview, which consists
of a set of benign concepts for understanding the world and one’s place in it, a set
of standards through which one can attain a sense of personal value, and the promise
of literal and/or symbolic immortality to those who live up to these standards; and
(2) self-esteem, or a sense of personal value, which is attained by believing that one
is living up to the standards of value that are part of the cultural worldview.
Pyszcynski, Greenberg, Solomon, “Why Do We Need What We Need?
A Terror Management Perspective on the Roots of Human
Social Motivation,” Psychological Inquiry 8:1 (1997), 2
Features S8
• awareness of inevitable mortality
“potential for paralysing terror” º cripples us psychologically

• worldview manages terror S9

KEYWORD: worldview º our beliefs & metaphysics
offers the promise of immortality: literal (in heaven after death)
symbolic (one’s legacy on earth)

• practice of worldview S10

leads to self-esteem & keeps us psychologically functional

Definition of Religion (Implicit) S11

Religion is a Terror Management Technique
terror of death is managed by the hope of life after death
Religious worldview is nothing but “cultural” and “a set of benign concepts”
K truthfulness or falsity of a religion is irrelevant

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 Religion 1 Episode 36
QUESTIONS S2
What keeps atheists & agnostics psychologically functional?
Are atheistic & agnostic worldviews nothing but Terror Management Techniques?
IF GAME S3
• assume God exists
• assume the Bible is correct:
“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Heb 10:31
THEN
Do atheistic & agnostic worldviews manage the terror of facing God after death?

CONCLUSION: Psychological Definitions of Religion I & II S4

1. Focus is on functional & practical aspects of religion, not the truth value S5
religion has a psychological component º don’t be embarrassed, we are psychological beings!
it provides comfort, happiness & meaning to life
it meets the challenge of horrendous situations like suffering & death

2. Modern psychology offers excellent DESCRIPTIVE work S6

EG James Fowler, Stages of Faith: Psychology of Human Development & Quest for Meaning S7
SQ2 see if these categories apply to your faith/philosophical development

3. BE AWARE of dysteleological metaphysics CONFLATED into modern psychology S8

50% of US psychologists are atheists & 11 % are agnostic
N Gross & S Simmons, “Religiosity of American College & University Professors”
Sociology of Religion 70:2 (2009), 116
SUGGESTION for religious & teleological people: S9
• Use the Metaphysics-Physics Principle in Psychology
SEPARATE DON’T CONFLATE:
dysteleological metaphysics & psychological sciences
• INTEGRATE your metaphysics (eg, belief in reality of sin, guilt & forgiveness) with S10
the psychological sciences to develop YOUR worldview on psychology
EG Evolutionary Creation
integrates the science of evolution & the metaphysics of creation
MORE IF GAMES S11
IF sin & guilt are SPIRITUAL REALTIES
THEN modern secular psychology is missing a valuable piece of information
this would be like doing biology without evolutionary theory
IF a psychological problem is a SPIRITUAL PROBLEM S12
THEN physical protocols won’t work
spiritual protocols are required
EG spiritual experience of God’s forgiveness

4. Clinical Psychology & Psychiatry S13

• a blessing to our culture and wonderful career choice
• treatment & healing of:
marriages, sexual abuse, eating disorders, depression
• if you need the medications, use them under medical supervision S14
it is NOT against God’s will
anti-depressants = insulin
DO NOT be ashamed if you need medication
• I’ve struggled with depression & have been successfully treated using anti-depressants S15
See my paper: “I Sleep a Lot” online at: www.ualberta.ca/~dlamoure/pdepression.pdf

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 Religion 2 Episode 37
VII. PHILOSOPHICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION I S2
Michael Peterson, William Hasker, Bruce Reichenbach & David Basinger S3
philosophers of religion

Philosophical Method S4
15. “The traditional conception of philosophy, which was dominant throughout the history
of Western thought, was that philosophy can investigate the content of our beliefs,
including the truth or falsity of theological beliefs.”
Michael Peterson, W. Hasker, B. Reichenbach & D. Basinger,
Reason & Religious Belief (Oxford: U Press, 1991) 8
COMMENTS: S5
Describes & Judges truth value of religion
goes beyond phenomenological method (eg Religious Studies)

Traditional Method S6
• Define
clarify the meaning of terms & concepts º CATEGORIES
• Criticize
look for hidden assumptions º TACIT CATEGORIES
Key Thought #3: Religious Ideas: are pervasive, powerful &
mostly unexamined
• Justify
use rational arguments to defend a position
• Synthesize
construct a theory
make a TRUTH claim º novel notion in post-modern age!!!

Definition of Religion: “Tentative, Working Definition” S7

16. “Religion is constituted by a set of beliefs, actions, and emotions, both personal and
corporate, organized around the concept of the Ultimate Reality.” Peterson, 4
COMMENTS: S8
• Beliefs
KEY º religion has an INTELLECTUAL component
religions make truth claims
beliefs can be JUDGED for their truth or falsity
explicitly organized into religious doctrines
implicitly seen in practice
real believers º walk the talk
• Actions S9
rituals, ethics, institutions
• Emotions
psychological aspect with feelings of:
goodness
piety & humility
hope & optimism
awe & mystery
• Personal & Corporate
individual & social community

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• The Ultimate Reality S2
17. “This [Ultimate] Reality may be understood as a [1] unity or plurality,
[2] personal or non-personal, [3] divine or not, and [4] so forth,
differing from religion to religion.” Peterson, 4
COMMENTS:
WIDE range of Ultimate Realities, including those that are:
[2] non-personal
[3] not divine
[4] so forth º WHATEVER!!!
Therefore: anything can be the Ultimate Reality
CONCLUSION: Peterson et al Philosophical Definition of Religion S3
1. Very WIDE definition of religion
2. Asserts some religions are not true!

Excursus: Criticisms of Philosophical Approaches to Religion S4

• Problem of Impersonal Analysis of a Personal Faith S5
some complain that critical analysis leads º impersonal God of the philosophers
not the living & personal God of religion
BUT not a substitute for religion or God
instead an instrument to improve & strengthen your relationship with God
EG marriage counselling
• Problem of Fideism S6
Fideism Latin fides: faith
DEF: religious truth rests ONLY on faith, not reason
Therefore: religion cannot be analysed rationally
aka the ‘Just Believe’ or ‘Faith Only’ Argument
K IRONICALLY this is an ARGUMENT
fideism attempts to be RATIONAL!!!
BUT Jesus commands Christians to think! S7
18. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matt 22:37

• Problem of Political Correctness S8

a Post-Modern cultural value
don’t criticize or judge anyone’s religion today
practical importance º keeps the peace
BUT it leads to the death of thinking
criticism is valuable!!!
my atheistic/agnostic critics are some of my best colleagues
if my religious beliefs cannot stand criticism, then I get rid of them
SUGGESTION: S9
• Openness––to all ideas. No idea unimportant
in my class that means questioning & rejecting the existence of God
• Respect Critics––at all times no matter what is said
• Thicken––your own skin º theology is a contact sport!
• Select Critics Carefully––some people you just can’t talk with
• Goal––to increase dialogue º get rid of the LUST to always be right
• “Speak Truth in love” Eph 4:15
you don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate this verse

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VIII. PHILOSOPHICAL DEFINITION OF RELIGION II S2
Roy A. Clouser philosopher of religion S3
Philosophical Method S4
19. “Logic requires that religious trust can be either [1] well placed or [2] misplaced
as can nonreligious trust, since beliefs about the divine are–-as all other beliefs–-
either true or false but not both at once. It follows, therefore, that when two beliefs
disagree about what is divine, one or both of them must be (at least partly) false.”
Roy A. Clouser, Myth of Religious Neutrality (Notre Dame: U Press, 1991) 34
COMMENTS: S5
• Describes & Judges truth value of religion
• asserts some beliefs are WRONG
K such a counter-cultural idea today in a post-modern world!!!
• asserts two types of TRUST: S6
[1] religious
[2] non-religious
• asserts two types of trust can be misplaced:
[1] religious º BLIND FAITH
[2] non-religious º BLIND UNBELIEF

Definition of Religion: ALL Theories Are Religious S7

Thesis Statement of Book:
20. “No theory can avoid presupposing something to have the status of divinity.” Clouser, 18

The Divine S8
DEFINITION:
21.“A religious belief is any belief in something or other as divine. ‘Divine’ means
having the status of not depending on anything else. . . . All [religions] believe
that the divine is whatever is ‘just there.’” Clouser, 19, 21
COMMENTS:
The Divine is something/s or someone/s that are self-existent & not dependent
on anything or anyone
EG eternal God of traditional religions
eternal energy & matter of secular belief

Types of Religious Beliefs S9

CORE BELIEFS
statements about the characteristics of the Divine
WIDE variety of attributes: personal/impersonal, singular/multiple, good/evil/indifferent
SECONDARY BELIEFS S10
statements about how humans relate to the Divine
WIDE variety of relationships: loved/hated/indifferent, worshipped/not worshipped

Types of Religions S11

Three basic types: (1) Pagan (2) Pantheist (3) Biblical
based on the arrangement of the Divine to the non-divine
CAUTION:
a bit of a cartoon, because religions are much more complex
but for our purposes, a reasonable instructional tool

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(1) PAGAN RELIGIONS S2
DEF: the Divine is some Force within the universe (non-divine)
Note: not a derisive term º an academic category in religious studies
Ritualist Pagan S3
Nature Religions: a Cosmic Force in the earth, sun, trees, etc (teleological)
Non-Ritualist Pagan S4
• Popular Culture: Fate, Destiny, the “Meant To be” (teleological)
• Marxism: a Cosmic Force that pushes society forward (teleological)
feudalism º capitalism º socialism º communism
• Materialism: a purposeless Force in nature with no final goal (dysteleological) S5
The Divine: blind chance
The Non-Divine: matter & energy
QUESTION: Can you call Richard Dawkins religious? Clouser would!
Dualistic Pagan S6
Two Divine Forces in opposition with each other (both teleological)
Chinese Yin & Yang

(2) PANTHEIST RELIGIONS Greek ðáí (pan): all èåïò (theos) God S7
DEF: everything is the Divine

Idealistic Pantheist S8
the physical universe (non-divine) is believed to be an illusion
even the person & logical thinking are an illusion!
22. [Idealistic] Pantheistic traditions insist that what is wrong with people is S9
their attachment to the illusory world as it is encountered in ordinary
experience by reason ... Logical criticism, they say, fails to recognize
that logical thinking is also part of the everyday world of illusion.
As such, logical thinking is part of the deception that prevents people
from discovering the divine unity of all reality.” Clouser, 42

COMMENTS: S10
the goal is to detach from the illusion of the world & the self
through mystical experience
K annihilate the self & melt into The Divine
EG Buddhism: to achieve Nirvana and melt into Nothingness

Naturalistic Pantheist (NB: not included by Clouser) S11

the physical universe is the only reality
EG Albert Einstein (1879-1955) S12
raised Jewish & rejected a personal God at 12 yrs of age
God º the physical world with its beauty & harmony
Complementary View of Science & Religion:
23. “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
A. Einstein, “Science & Religion” Ideas & Opinions
(NY: Crown, 1982 [1954]), 46

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(3) BIBLICAL RELIGIONS Greek âéâëéïò (biblos): book S2
DEF: religions with Holy Books
believe in a Creator (Divine) who made a creation (non-divine)
EG Judaism, Christianity, Islam
The Creation S3
not an illusion (Idealistic Pantheist) º but real
not eternal (Pagan & Pantheist) º but temporal
not exalted as Divine (Pagan & Naturalist Pantheist) º but good

Excursus: Doctrine of Creation S4

Central concept: the belief THAT God created, not on HOW God created
1. Realism S5
BELIEF the creation is real and not merely an illusion
we are not trapped in some sort of computer program like the Matrix (the movie)
2. Transcendence
BELIEF the Creator is radically distinct from the creation
3. Ordinance
BELIEF the creation was ordained (ordered) into existence by the Creator
the universe is NOT a fluke or mistake
4. Creatio Ex Nihilo Latin creatio: creation ex: out of nihil: nothing S6
BELIEF the Creator made the creation out of nothing
K the Creator created not only matter, but space & time as well
5. Temporality
BELIEF the creation has a beginning & an end
6. Dependence
BELIEF the creation is utterly dependent on the Creator
the creation cannot exist outside the will of the Creator
7. Sustenance
BELIEF the Creator sustains the creation (matter, space & time) every moment of its existence
in contrast to deism, the Creator does not stand outside the creation
8. Omnipresence Latin omnis: all, every S7
BELIEF the Creator is present everywhere throughout the creation
9. Omnipotence Latin potentia: power, force
BELIEF the Creator is all-powerful and can act upon the creation at any time
through dramatic interventionism & subtle providentialism
10. Omniscience Latin scientia: knowledge
BELIEF the Creator is all-knowing and understands everything about the creation
11. Revelatory Intelligibility S8
BELIEF the creation reveals understandable messages from the Creator
• physical world º non-verbal revelation of general attributes of the Creator
• human conscience º non-verbal revelation of general moral laws of the Creator
12. Imago Dei Latin imago: image deus: God
BELIEF the Creator made human creatures in his likeness & image (aka Image of God)
13. Goodness
BELIEF the Creator made the creation good

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CONCLUSION: Clouser’s Philosophical Definition of Religion S2
1. Extremely WIDE definition of religion
ALL beliefs, including dysteleological beliefs, are religious

2. Many religions are FALSE S3

24. “Although there are strong similarities among [religious] traditions of the same type,
those which fall into different types [Pagan, Pantheist, Biblical] are hopelessly
incompatible. Far from being different paths up the same mountain, they do not
agree on which mountain to climb.” Clouser, 34
COMMENTS:
• challenges the common understanding of different religions S4
K they are NOT paths up the same mountain to the same God

• challenges the so-called “Problem” of Exclusivism S5

today you can’t make exclusive claims that you know “THE TRUTH”

• challenges Relativism º Post Modern Cultural Value S6

truth is relative & everyone has their own “truth”
everyone is “right” & no one is “wrong”
BUT recognize the Fallacy of Relativism S7
ironically, relativism makes an exclusive TRUTH claim!!!
K it states that truth is relative
AND it excludes those who believe in absolute truths
SUGGESTION: S8
since we can’t help but make exclusive truth claims,
consider Respectful Exclusivism º “Speak truth in love” Eph 4:15

IX. CONCLUSION: WHAT IS RELIGION? S9

1. Common Definition S10
religion has something to do with a Supreme Being, rituals & ethics
in North America coloured by Christian categories

2. Academic Definition S11

Religion – Metaphysics º WIDE definition of religion

MODERN EXAMPLES: S12

religion associated with being/s, process/es, state/s of being, etc
Ninian Smart:
invisible world (spiritual world, one God, nirvana, empty universe)
William Tremmel:
divine reality (being, beings, process)
Tom Pyszczynski et al:
management of terror (psychological state)
Michael Peterson et al:
ultimate reality (including the “so forth”)
Roy Clouser:
the just there

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HISTORICAL EXAMPLES: S2
Jesus Christ (5 BC/E to 30 AD/CE) S3
25. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and Money.” Matt 6:24
COMMENTS:
WIDE definition of religion
not just spiritual beings, but things º $$$

Martin Luther (1483-1546) S4

Protestant Reformer
26. “That to which your heart clings and entrusts itself is, I say, really your God.”
Martin Luther, “Larger Catechism” in Book of Concord
(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1959), 365
COMMENTS:
WIDE definition of religion
whatever we trust & whatever gives us psychological comfort º God

3. Near Universality of Religion S5

C A corollary (ie, built into) of the academic definition of religion (Religion – Metaphysics) is
the notion that nearly everyone is religious
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Philosopher S6
27. “That the human mind will ever give up metaphysical researches is as little to
be expected as that we, to avoid inhaling impure air, should prefer to give up
breathing altogether. There will therefore always be metaphysics in the world.”
I. Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
B Logan, ed (NY: Routledge, 1996 [1784]), 124
COMMENTS: S7
IF Religion – Metaphysics
IF everyone has a metaphysics (according to Kant)
THEN nearly everyone is religious
K WIDE definition of religion

C The cause of the metaphysical (religious) impulse according to Kant: S8

28. “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence,
the more often and more steadily one reflects on them: [1] the starry heavens
above me and [2] the moral law within me.”
I. Kant, Critique of Practical Reason A Wood, ed
(Cambridge: U Press, 1996 [1788]), 269
COMMENTS: S9 H2
General Revelation
[1] Natural Revelation
“starry heavens above” º intelligent design (Ps 19:1)
[2] Moral Revelation
“moral law within” º law written on the heart (Rom 2:14)

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Summary Chart of Religious/Metaphysical Beliefs S2-5 H10

See handouts manual page 10

Larson & Witham “Scientists Are Keeping the Faith” (1997) Revisited S6-7 H10
Now that you have new categories, this study of the religious beliefs of US scientists can be
seen in a new light
See handouts manual page 10

X. TOWARD A WORKING DEFINITION OF RELIGION Lamoureux S8

· Religion deals with teleology in the world and The Ultimate Foundation/s of Teleology S9
Teleology: BELIEF the world has an ultimate plan & purpose &
the world it is headed toward an ultimate final goal

· Religion has been practised throughout history, because nearly every human being has attempted
to be in a relationship with his or her Foundation/s of Teleology

· Religion offers psychological comfort and contributes to the psychological stability of humans,
giving them the ability to function in life

COMMENTS: S10
WIDE definition of religion
Religion = Teleology
K I can’t put dysteleologists (eg, Dawkins) in the religious camp

The Ultimate Foundation/s of Teleology: S11

Being/s or Thing/s (personal or impersonal): called “The God”
Religion is Relational: most humans yearn/crave a relationship with “The God”
Religion is Psychological: “The God” comforts & stabilizes humans

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